Women Saying Mourner's Kaddish

A Daughter's Recitation of Mourner's Kaddish

by Rahel Berkovits

Reciting mourner's kaddish for a parent stands at the heart of the Jewish bereavement experience. While traditionally this public recitation has been seen as a son's responsibility, a daughter reciting kaddish is not a modern concept. The halakhic literature addresses questions such as: May a daughter recite mourner's kaddish? May she recite kaddish alone or must it be in conjunction with a man? Should her kaddish be said aloud or quietly?

Rahel Berkovits lectures in Mishnah, Talmud and halakhah at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Jerusalem. She has published entries in the CD-ROM, Jewish Women: A Comprehensive Historical Encyclopedia and lectures widely in both Israel and the United States on topics concerning women and Jewish law.